Luke 24:29
But they constrained Him, saying, ‘Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.’ And He went in to tarry with them.
I wonder how eager we are for the presence of the Lord to abide with us. Do we yearn for His presence in our life to the extent that we grieve when we cannot feel Him near us?
Henry F. Lyte was a man who greatly loved the Lord with his whole being. He coined the saying, “It is better to wear out than to rust out.” That phrase perfectly described his life. During the last 23 years of his life he was the pastor of a poor church in England. He always suffered from poor health but during this time his health started to decline even more. When he finally preached his last sermon on September 4, 1847, it is reported that he practically had to crawl to the pulpit.
Shortly before preaching his last sermon he wrote the words and tune to the hymn, Abide With Me. He based his hymn on today’s Scripture that tells the story of Jesus walking with two disciples on the way to Emmaus and their statement, “Abide with us: for it is toward evening and the day is far spent.” He went to be with the Lord shortly after writing the hymn. Later William Monk wrote a new tune for the hymn. During a time of personal sorrow, he was inspired by the beauty of a magnificent sunset.
Abide with me—fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens—Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me!Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me!I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.Hold Thou Thy word before my closing eyes,
Shine thru the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heaven’s morning breaks and earth’s vain shadows flee
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video from Gloryscapes.com. To access Abide With Me, this free inspirational video from GloryScapes™, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/abidewithme/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil